News 2008
21st December
I wish that I was updating the site with glad tiding's of Pabbey's foal but it hasn't arrived as yet, Pabbey is very well and is the size of a bus but still no arrival !
We would like to wish everyone a very merry christmas, from all of us here at Valerock.
This lovely photo is of my nephew Daniel and his daughter Hannah, with our stallion Glen when they came to visit us a couple of months ago from Germany where they live. Future highland enthusiast in the making.
North Wells Summit with Daniel and Hannah.
2nd November
Today it was the NCPA Lancs branch foal and youngstock show at Myerscough. We took Pearl our yearling filly, she did very well and got first in the M & M yearling class. She was really well behaved if a little bit on her toes and she even managed to keep all four feet on the ground! There were no other highlands in the class just Dartmoors, Fells, Dales and an Exmoor. The classes were well filled, the foal classes particularly.
Looking forward to taking my foals out to a few of the winter foal shows. They are still on their mothers yet, Thorn Violet's foal is old enough to be weaned but Flower Blossoms filly foal was only born in July so she will be weaned in the new year.
Still no sign of Pabbey's foal as yet!
Pearl at the show
Photo courtesey of www.equinational.co.uk
21st October
The transporter has just been to pick up Kyla, my 2 year old filly, she is going to her new home in Perthshire with Sally Murray at Lurgan highland pony stud. It was very sad saying goodbye to her because she is such a character and will be sadly missed. On the plus side her new home is fabulous and I am certain that she will be very happy with Sally and her ponies.
There is still no sign of Pabbeydene's foal yet, she is enormous though, still hav'nt got a clue when it will arrive in the world. I am so exited that she is in foal at all, that I won't mind being on foal watch in the middle of winter!!
28th September
With the glorious weather we have had, I have been snapping like mad to get some photo's of the ponies whilst they are still clean and dry.
A bit of a stud tour, hope that you enjoy the pics.
22nd September
I can't believe that a whole month has passed since last updating the site. There really isn't a great deal to report, except that it has finally stopped raining and we have managed to mow our fields. Just praying that the weather holds and we get the haylage wrapped.
Blairgowrie is now back home after his stud duties at Mitchelland and is back in with Velvet. I am always happy to see him back home after his holidays.
This morning I got a lovely email from Kathryn Boorman who owns Valerock Mountain Ash (Bruce)
Kathryn sent me some delightful photo's of him being ridden and looking all grown up. Bruce is only 3 and doing really well hacking out and having fun. Bruce will now be turned away for the winter to mature up, if he will allow it! He stands at the side of the mounting block and won't budge until he is taken out for a ride. That made me laugh, wish my ponies were so keen!
Pics courtesey of Kathryn.
25th August
It was the NPS area 4 summer show today and we took Hobcroft Blossom and her filly foal Flower for an outing. They both did very well Blossom was 2nd in a large mare and gelding class and the filly came 2nd in the foal class. I was really pleased with this result considering Blossom is now 17 years young and the filly is only 5 weeks old. Picture from the show.
10th August
I have finally found a bit of time to update the site, everytime I think about doing it something crops up.
Today we have been to watch dressage at Osbaldeston riding centre. Where Clare Wamlesley and her pony Hobcroft Germander were competing, they did extremely well getting 2nd place with a score of 66.8 in the elementary class and have qualified for the Prestige champs in November. I have been promising to go and watch them compete for ages and I am really glad we did, they were a joy to watch doing a very smooth test. It's so nice to see a hairy do better than the big horses.
Clare and Alison bought Germander from me 8 years ago when she was a newly backed 3 year old. They have achieved so much with her, including qualifying for the British Dressage national champs at Addington. Wishing them the best of luck with that and flying the flag for the highland pony, the versatile breed!
Clare and Germander
8th August
Drumochter our young stallion went to his first show of the year at the NPS summer champs at Malvern. I wasn't going to show him this year with it being his first season covering mares, but decided to enter him because he would have finished covering by then. As it turned out he served a mare the morning we were going had a quick bath then off we went. I was particularly pleased with his behaviour no different than he usually is. He just loves going to the shows and with the added bonus that his stable floor was covered in grass, what a treat for a highland pony! Drumochter got a first in the highland stallion class, thrilled to bits with him he is such a gentleman. I can't wait for his first crop of foals next year.
20th July
Blairgowrie has gone to the Lakes today to run with Stuart and Jane Higham's mares at Mitchelland farm. He has got 3 foals up there 2 fillies and a colt.
Mares and foals at Mitchelland.
Blossom had a filly at midnight last night, all was well with birth but the mare didn't cleanse and I had to call out the vet in the early hours of Sunday morning. They are both doing really well now and at least the sun has been shining on her since she was born. The foals sire is North Wells Summit. A few piccies of her:
7th July
We went to the Royal show yesterday, the weather was dreadful non stop rain. Luckily the sun came out whilst Pearl was in her class, even though the ring was really muddy and very slippy. Pearl was well behaved except that she took a disliking to the barriers that were in the middle of the ring and didn't want to trot past them but she did in the end. She got a 4th prize.
Valerock sea pearl at the Royal.
26th June
Back from the Highland show, we had a brilliant time the weather was lovely, probably the best we have since we started going. No pics because I forgot to take my camera!
Pearl the yearling filly got 5th prize and Kyla the two year old was 10th. Really pleased with both my girls, they were very good, both in the stables and in the ring. The girls were glad to be home though after being in a stable for 5 days, they couldn't wait to have a roll and most importantly eat grass!!
Violets colt foal is doing very well,he is quite a big foal. Blossom looks big in foal now, I don't think she will be much longer now. She isn't due until the 29th of July but I think she will be earlier than that.
Molly, Bryony, Ruby and Velvet have all been scanned in foal for next year, I don't normally scan my own mares but after this years dissapointments with them not being in foal I decided to do them.
29th May
At last Violet has foaled, a colt born at 10.10am this morning by Blairgowrie. I havn't been able to get anywhere near him yet. Violet is so foal proud, thank goodness for binoculars at least I could see that he was sucking ok.
I have got a long wait for the next one, Blossom is due in July.
Velvets due date came and went with no foal, such a dissapointment, we where all convinced that we had seen the foal moving but she was just kidding us. Oh well there is always next year, I have put her in with Blairgowrie so fingers crossed!
A couple of pics of Violet's foal new born.
25th May
More foal news Fred and Jean Andersons mare Maorach of Sauchrie had a filly foal on the 22nd sired by North-Wells Summit, congratulations to them.
Today we went to a local pony club show with Kyla and Pearl, to have a practice for some of the bigger shows I have entered them in. They where both really well behaved and loaded well. Pearl got a 2nd in the yearling class and Kyla was 3rd in the 2/3 year old class.
Here are a few pics.
Valerock Kyla May
Valerock Sea Pearl
21st May
More foal photo's, a colt born on Sunday out Roshven Siobhan by North-Wells Summit he has been bred by Mrs Kath Wurcbacher, and he is gorgeous and chunky. I had the pleasure of seeing him on Tuesday when he was couple of days old.
These fabulous photo's are courtesy of Kath.
Newborn.
Having a scratch!!
3 days old.
18th May
We have finally got to take Kyla (North-Wells Summit x Oldham's Wood Miss Molly) to a show today. After last weeks disaster with the wagon not going for us.
Once again she was very well behaved, loaded straight in and stood patiently in the lorry. Klya was entered in the 2/3 year old class and it was a huge entry 16 in it, of all breeds. She got a very credible 4th, the highest placed two year old. The mountain and moorland class was big too but she wasn't placed in that.
A few photo's from the show.
16th May
This Sunday we are taking Kyla to a local show, well hopefully we are. Last weekend I got her all ready to go to a show and the lorry woudn't start! So I am hoping for a bit better luck this time.
We are still waiting for Violet to foal she was due on Tuesday and looks fit to burst so hopefully it won't be long now.
Here are a couple of photo's of Mick and Carol Forrest's foals, kindly emailed to me yesterday.
Rydale Dinky's colt foal by Summit.
He is 4 weeks old.
Trailtrow Rhuann's colt foal by Summit.
Two weeks old.
9th May
I have finally found at bit of time to do a news update, foals are coming thick and fast from visiting mares.
Jill Munroe's mare Whitefield Eleanor had a filly foal last week by North-Wells Summit.
Micheal and Carol Forrest's mare Trailtrow Rhuann had a colt foal last friday by North-Wells Summit.
Vicki Edgar's mare Cobweb had a filly foal yesterday by North-Wells Summit. That will be Cobweb's 3rd filly by Summit !!
No foal news of my own to report as yet, Violet is due tomorrow but isn't really bagged up yet.
Velvet is showing no sign's of foaling and I am doubting whether she is in foal at all! If she is not then a serious diet is in order.
27th April
This weekend we were supposed to be going to the NPS spring festival at Malvern, for the highland pony stallion parade. Unfortunately it was cancelled due to lack of support, Drumochter was also entered for the show but we decided not to go with Velvet two weeks overdue, I didn't like to risk leaving her with this being her first time foaling.
Two more foals were born last week from visiting mares. On Wednesday Drumpark Kara had a colt by Blairgowrie, bred by Jill Munro. On Friday Alishadene had a filly by North Wells Summit bred by Amanda King.
19th April
Paul and I have been baby visiting today, you could say that it is one of my favourite pass times! I am still waiting for Velvet to foal she was due last Sunday.
Moss-side Mornish (Moss-side Domhnach x Vienna of Whitefield) had a beautiful colt foal by Blairgowrie of Whitefield on Wednesday. Bred by Mrs Pauline Billington. Photo's below.
12th April
Micheal and Carol Forrest have kindly emailed me photo's of their new foal. A colt out of Rydale Dinky (Turin Hill Triple Crown x Lucy of Gargunnock) sired by North Wells Summit. The foal was born on Friday and is about 20 hours old in the photo's. He is gorgeous and has a huge amount of bone, well worth the wait as the mare was three weeks overdue!
29th March
It was the Northern Welsh and Native Breed show today and we took Valerock Sea Pearl for an outing, it was her first show and she was a little star. She didn't put a foot wrong, she trotted up beautifully and stood in the line up very patiently. Pearl got 4th in 1, 2 and 3 year old class out of 13 which I was really pleased with as she was only one of two hairies in the class and 3rd in the M and M class.
Here are a couple of photo's of Pearl at the show
12th March
North Wells Summit has got his first foal of the year on the ground. A colt out of Strathbeag Kirsty Bhan (Raucle Reiver of Trailtrow x Eilidh of Park View) a visiting mare owned by Mrs. Dawn Stringfellow, he was born last night at 10ish,and was 3 weeks overdue. Lucky for me, we where going to get a plant trailer today and we passed by Dawn's farm and called in to have a look at him. He is so cute, really friendly and very hairy must have been preparing for the horrible wintry weather! Here are a couple of picci's of him at 14 hours old
4th March
There really isn't much to report for this month.
The ponies have wintered well and we are looking forward to spring and some better weather, it has been a very wet and muddy winter here and my fields are looking a bit worse for wear! I have been out with my camera this morning in the only bit of snow we have seen over the winter and it wasn't much.
Last week was a dissapointing one with Molly coming in season and not being in foal, she looked as though she was but we had the vet out doing boosters and she was examined and confirmed not in foal. So that is only 3 foals for this year.
Strathleven Drumochter
Junior stallion
Peggy of Combebank
2 year old filly
Valerock Kyla May
2 year old filly
Valerock Sea Pearl
yearling filly
Peggy and Kyla
1st February
Here are a couple of photo's of Blair and Pabbey on their way back from their Sunday trundle.
21st January
Well what a dismal start to the new year, we are under water here and we live on a hill! There isn't much to report. Blossom, Molly, Velvet and Violet are all in foal, due in April and May. No foal from Pabbeydene again this year but I live in hope. Bryony didn't hold either, so I will try again earlier this year.
All of the ponies are fit and well, despite the rain and mud. Blairgowrie of Whitefield has spent his first winter inside, because I have been riding him, he is living in the barn with Pabbey and they are really enjoying the luxury.
|